Dear EPHYRA followers,

With great excitement, we would like to share with you a major development in the EPHYRA Project!

Originally planned as a 30MW green hydrogen facility, the project is now scaling up. Motor Oil Hellas (MOH), EPHYRA project’s coordinator and lead industrial partner, has secured additional support through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to increase electrolyser capacity to an impressive 50 MW.

What does this mean for EPHYRA?

• The upgraded capacity of the electrolyser will be now 50 MW;
• While the project’s baseline remains at 30 MW, we will also study the 50 MW scenario in our technical work, models and studies;
• And annual hydrogen production will still target 2,410 tons – now at an approximately 33% load factor of the enhanced capacity.

Please note: Previous publications reflect the original 30 MW plan. Updates may be issued in the future to align with this exciting update.

The EPHYRA project just got bolder, and greener! Stay tuned for more updates as we drive hydrogen innovation forward!

Learn about EPHYRA with these 8 Questions

1. What is the EPHYRA project aiming to achieve, and why is it groundbreaking for South-eastern Europe?

EPHYRA aims to demonstrate the first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen production facility of its kind in South-Eastern Europe, using advanced electrolysis technology with a capacity of 30 MW – now scalable to 50 MW having secured additional RRF funding.

The facility is located at the Motor Oil Hellas’ refinery in Agioi Theodoroi, Corinth, Greece. It will be seamlessly integrated into existing industrial operations, powered by renewable energy, and embedded within a circular economy framework. EPHYRA will showcase the cost-effective and reliable production of green hydrogen on a large scale.

The project is set to make a substantial impact across the wider Southeast Mediterranean by providing the concept’s scalability, promoting industrial integration, and serving as a cornerstone for accelerating the uptake of green hydrogen in the EU.

2. How does EPHYRA produce green hydrogen, and what makes its electrolyser technology innovative?

EPHYRA uses an advanced Alkaline Electrolysis (AEL) system to produce green hydrogen. After thorough evaluation and a competitive vendor selection process (detailed in Deliverable 1.1 on Technology Validation, a high-pressure pressurised AEL technology was chosen as the most suitable for the project.

At the core of this system are next-generation electrodes that significantly reduce water usage, cooling needs, and compression demands – making it more efficient and environmentally friendly than conventional systems.

What sets this system apart is its ability to respond quickly to changing power inputs (a much-improved dynamic responses) compared to traditional atmospheric alkaline electrolysers. This makes it highly compatible with renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are naturally variable.

In addition, the system offers a much lower capital expenditure (capex) for a stable, continuous energy load, which means that it is more cost-effective to build and operate for large-scale production.

EPHYRA’s electrolyser will feature among the largest stacks in the industry (5-10 MW) – utilizing its innovative pressurized AEL design. This breakthrough setup is expected to enable one of the most competitive green hydrogen production costs in the market.

3. How will EPHYRA reduce dependency on fossil fuels and drive industrial decarbonisation?

At EPHYRA, we believe real change starts from within. That’s why the project begins by decarbonising operations at our own facility.

Once the electrolyser is installed and fully integrated into the Motor Oil Hellas (MOH) refinery, it will run in baseload mode for at least 2 years, producing up to 4,900 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. In the short term, part of this green hydrogen will replace at least 1,200 tonnes per year of fossil-based (grey) hydrogen currently generated by the refinery’s Steam Methane Reformer, which uses natural gas.

The rest will help support the development of a hydrogen market in heavy-duty transportation.

Beyond internal decarbonisation, EPHYRA aims to accelerate broader mission by:

• Enhancing green hydrogen competitiveness, with the goal of reaching cost parity with fossil-driven hydrogen.
• Reducing the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) from an initial target of €3.3/kg to as low as €2.6/kg with full electrolyser utilization.
• Positioning the project as a model for industrial replication across Europe, promoting social acceptance and stakeholder engagement.
• Creating a cost-effective renewable hydrogen model by leveraging industrial symbiosis, technical innovation, and stable baseload operations – potentially making it the most affordable renewable hydrogen in Europe and globally competiveness.

To further reduce the energy footprint of this energy-intensive sector, EPHYRA will deploy energy efficiency solutions such as Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC).

The ORC system works similarly to a steam turbine, but uses an organic fluid better suited to low-temperature heat sources. The fluid is pressurized, evaporated using waste heat, expanded through a turbine to generate electricity, and then condensed to repeat the cycle. This technology recovers energy from industrial processes, improving overall energy efficiency and further reducing emissions.

4. In what ways does EPHYRA embody a circular economy approach?

EPHYRA creates a smart, circular ecosystem within the MOH refinery by turning by-products and excess resources into valuable inputs for other industrial processes. Instead of letting energy and materials go to waste, EPHYRA recycles, reuses, and reintegrates them.

Key circular features include:

• Oxygen reuse: The electrolysis process generates around 60,000 tonnes of oxygen annually as detailed in Deliverable 2.2. Instead of venting it, EPHYRA will reuse it to enhance refinery operations – especially in the Claus Sulphur Recovery unit, boosting efficiency and lowering costs.
• Hydrogen integration: Green hydrogen is not only stored for external use but also directly used in refinery processes, which helps to decarbonise fuel production.
• Waste heat recovery: The introduced ORC system captures waste heat and turn it into carbon-free electricity.
• Water efficiency concepts: As detailed in Deliverable 2.3, although not implemented in the current phase, EPHYRA has assessed ways to use waste heat for seawater desalination and tested advanced wastewater treatment methods, laying the groundwork for future water circularity.
• Renewable energy integration: Solar panels and on-site batteries support stable, renewable electricity supply to power the electrolyser.
• PHYRA will create a circular ecosystem within the industrial environment, in which the large-scale

Through industrial symbiosis and resource optimization, EPHYRA goes beyond hydrogen production – it sets a scalable model for sustainability in heavy industry.

5. How is the EPHYRA project connected to the TRIERES Valley initiative?

EPHYRA is the centrepiece of the TRIĒRĒS Valley – an emerging hydrogen hub anchored at the Motor Oil Hellas refinery in Agioi Theodoroi, Greece. The valley is a strategic initiative supporting the EU’s goal to rapidly scale up hydrogen ecosystems across Europe.

Think of it this way: EPHYRA is the engine, and TRIĒRĒS Valley is the vehicle driving hydrogen development in the Southeastern Mediterranean. By demonstrating large-scale green hydrogen production and integration into industry, EPHYRA lays the technical and commercial foundation for the entire TRIĒRĒS ecosystem.

TRIĒRĒS Valley extends this impact by creating a regional hydrogen network – connecting production, distribution, and end-use across Greece, the islands (including Crete), Cyprus, Egypt, and beyond. It targets key high-emission sectors like shipping, heavy transport, power generation and industry.

In short, EPHYRA powers the Valley’s vision: a cross-border, scalable hydrogen value chain that makes Greece a central player in Europe’s clean energy future.

6. What does the upgrade to a 50 MW electrolyser mean for the future of EPHYRA?

The upgrade to a 50 MW electrolyser reflects MOH strengthened commitment to clean hydrogen production and represents a key evolution of the EPHYRA project.

While the original project design is based on a 30 MW system—as outlined in the Grant Agreement—the company successfully secured additional funding through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to scale up to 50 MW. This enhanced capacity offers greater long-term flexibility and scalability for industrial integration.

However, the annual hydrogen production target remains unchanged at 2,410 tonnes, equivalent to operating the 50 MW electrolyser at a ~33% load factor. This approach ensures technical alignment with the project’s original scope while allowing for extended capability in future scenarios.

By accommodating both the 30 MW baseline and the expanded 50 MW scenario, EPHYRA can now more effectively model the dynamics of hydrogen production, grid interaction, and business viability—making it a more resilient and future-ready platform for green hydrogen scale-up across the region.

7. What socio-economic and environmental impacts does EPHYRA aim to deliver?

Socially, EPHYRA is creating and securing jobs across the clean energy value chain, from engineering and infrastructure to operations and maintenance. It supports the transition to a green economy by introducing new skills, education pathways, and career opportunities in hydrogen and renewable technologies. It also strengthens regional resilience by sustaining local employment in an evolving industrial landscape.

Economically, EPHYRA catalyses a new market with commercial potential across multiple sectors: mobility, industry, energy, and maritime fuels. It leverages the strategic assets of the MOH refinery to transform an existing industrial base into a green hydrogen hub. This also attracts investment, supports supply chain’s SMEs, and enhances energy security in South-East Europe.

Environmentally, EPHYRA significantly reduces emissions by replacing at least 1,200 tonnes/year of grey hydrogen with green hydrogen and enabling the production of ultra-low carbon fuels. It also reduces Scope 3 emissions in downstream fuel use and supports the decarbonisation of industrial processes, transport, and shipping. Future integrations like biohydrogen, carbon capture, and synthetic fuel production further amplify its contribution to a climate-neutral economy.

8. How can EPHYRA be replicated across other regions, and what makes it a model for future projects?

EPHYRA is more than a standalone project – it’s a scalable blueprint for accelerating the hydrogen economy in Europe and beyond.

By integrating a large-scale electrolyser within an existing industrial complex, EPHYRA shows how refineries – thanks to their infrastructure, hydrogen demand, and regulatory readiness – can serve as an ideal launchpads for clean hydrogen production. This approach significantly reduces and risks, making it easier for other regions to replicate the model and create commercially viable hydrogen projects.

What makes EPHYRA truly applicable is its versatility, as the model can be adapted both across geographies – where similar industrial hubs exist, and across sectors—from refining to mobility, heavy industry, energy, and shipping.

Once operational, EPHYRA will act as a living proof-of-concept, and laying the groundwork for a hydrogen hub capable of important, producing, distributing, and exporting bulk hydrogen. Backed by EPHYRA valuable lessons and Motor Oil Hellas Group’s extensive regional fuel distribution network, the company also plans to expand hydrogen refuelling stations across Greece and the Balkans.